


It's Nice Out Here

by BlackStar3991



Series: Harringrove [7]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Needs A Hug, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 16:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackStar3991/pseuds/BlackStar3991
Summary: "With a heavy sigh, Steve drives away towards the only place he can think of; if Billy’s not there, he has no idea where he’d be hiding."_______Steves goes looking for Billy to make sure everything's fine. The lines of their new-found friendship start to blur.





	It's Nice Out Here

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guuuys  
> It took me forever, but I came bearing gifts! I hope you enjoy this fic <3

The first time Billy woke up last night, after Steve had once again offered him shelter from Neil, it was on a quick moment of panic caused by Steve’s nightmare. 

But the second time Billy wakes up it’s already morning, and he hadn’t felt this well rested in ages. The air is sort of chilly, but the covers are toasty warm and the mattress is soft. And, um... he’s lying half on top of Steve, still spooning him from behind. Well, not spooning, really. This was just a friendly, um, holding. Or something. But fuck, this is comfortable. 

Billy doesn’t really move – except, maybe, to hold Steve a fraction tighter and press his face on the boy’s neck. The faint smell of shampoo makes him crack a smile. Shit. Okay, so perhaps this isn’t as platonic as Billy would like to admit. And perhaps his flirty teasing was less of a joke than Billy was telling himself. Well, fuck. The proper time for one to realize such things is alone in one’s room, where one can freak the fuck out in peace; not here, cuddling in a non-sexual way. It’s not like he expected to have a crush on King Steve, of all people. But here we are. 

With his eyes still closed, Billy decides to save this freak-out for later. No use ruining a perfectly fine moment, anyway. Moving as little as he can, he checks out the clock – it's almost time to go. They have class today, and he still has to go home to pick up his shit. Soon enough Neil will be out for work, and it’ll be safe to sneak in. Laying his head back on the pillow, he feels the slow rise and fall of Steve’s breath, and a sleepy hand covers his own where it rests on Steve’s chest, pulling him closer. 

With a stupid fluttering on his stomach, Billy figures they can be a bit late. 

 

~o~o~o~o~o~ 

 

Before Steve parks his car on the school parking lot, he’s already looking around for a certain blue Camaro. Billy seemed a little fidgety when they woke up this morning, but Steve assumes it’s because he had to grab his things at home - he knows Billy doesn’t like explaining himself to anyone, especially if it’s about where he was the whole night. 

I mean, not long ago Steve would have pinned the nervousness on the, um...waking up so close together. But Billy actually seemed fine with that. Comfortable, even. Steve was scared of saying the wrong thing and making it awkward, so both seemed to just play it cool and act like it was no biggie. Like they always wake up in each other’s arms or some shit. It was weird, but not a bad weird. And Billy did wink at him at the door and said ‘see you at school, Pretty Boy’, so he’s assuming they are fine. 

The Camaro still nowhere to be seen, Steve waits around in his car, acting like he’s busy with something (mostly fiddling with his backpack). Seeing that the bell is about to ring, he takes his time getting out of the car, failing to ignore the knots that settled in his stomach. Barely two steps later, he sees Max rolling by on her skateboard. She smiles when Steve waves and calls for her, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. 

“Hey, Steve.” 

“Hey. Billy didn’t give you a ride today?” 

“Um, no.” She looks away, tucking some wind tousled hair behind her ear. ”He wasn’t feeling up to it.” 

“Is he... sick?” Steve swallows the lump in his throat – maybe they weren’t as fine as he thought? 

“Something like that.” This time she looks at him right in the eyes, and it tells him more than her words. 

“Okay” He says with caution “Is he at home?” 

“No. He took the car.” 

“Right. I, um, I don’t think I’m feeling very well either. Must be some flu going around, huh.” She nods at him. “If anyone asks, tell them I was sick.” 

“Will do. And, ah, thanks.” 

Steve ruffles her hair and gets back into the car, glad to see she seems somewhat relieved. He bites on his thumb as he leaves the parking lot, thinking where the fuck would the asshole go. For starters, he drives past Billy’s house. It’s a long shot, but what the hell, doesn’t hurt to check. Then he drives back home. Knowing that Steve’s parents would be back only later this evening, maybe he could have gone back there. Arriving on his street, Steve slows down and searches more carefully – the doors are locked, so he’d have to be waiting outside. Steve stops in front of his house and honks three short times, waiting a while to see if anyone comes by. He even calls out, not too loudly, just in case. 

“Fuck...” he grumbles, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. 

With a heavy sigh, Steve drives away towards the only place he can think of; if Billy’s not there, he has no idea where he’d be hiding. 

As he approaches the quarry, some of the weight lifts from his shoulders. There, under the shadow of a small tree, is the Camaro. Billy sits on top of the hood, arms resting upon his knees, smoking a cigarette. Steve leaves his car and walks closer. Coming from behind, he can’t see Billy’s face, but his shoulders seem tense. 

Before he can say anything to announce himself, Billy slides a bit to the left on the hood, leaving an empty space beside him. Lips quirking up in a smile, Steve takes the invitation and hops on. They both sit quiet for a few seconds, and Billy is the one to break the silence as he hands Steve the cigarette: 

“How did you know I’d be here?” he’s still looking ahead, not turning to Steve. 

“I didn’t.” he takes a long drag and passes it back to Billy. “After checking around your house and mine, I hoped to find you here.” 

At that, Billy turns to Steve with a frown on his face. 

“You looked for me?” he asks after a short pause. 

“What? Of course.” 

Billy flicks away the cigarette and goes back to staring ahead, passing a hand through his hair. 

“So.” Steve continues. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah... Yeah. I, um... Neil was still home when I came back. Don’t know why, maybe he was late, maybe he waited for me or whatever.” 

“And did he...?” Steve asks, sitting a bit closer so that their legs are touching. 

“No, I’m fine.” Billy interrupts. “Nothing happened. It was just a fucking shouting match. Listing all the reasons why I’m a useless piece of shit and so on.” 

Steve wants to say that this is far from “fine” and that it was definitely not “nothing”. What that asshole is doing is all kinds of wrong. But, right now, Billy doesn’t seem open for a conversation. If Steve presses, he’s pretty sure Billy will just lash out. Filing this away as “definitely discuss later”, Steve considers how well Billy has been responding to his touch lately. He states: 

“You’re not useless.” the boy glances at him without answering; Steve leans to bump Billy’s shoulder with his own and doesn’t withdraw “I mean, you can be a piece of shit, but...” 

Billy laughs a bit and bumps him back, keeping their arms, as well as their legs, still in contact. 

“Fuck you” he mumbles with a half-smile that fades as he adds, bitterly: “But I am fucking useless.” 

“Well, not to me.” Steve says in a matter-of-fact low voice. “I like to think we’re friends now, aren’t we?” 

“Yeah.” Billy answers with a glance at Steve, clearly not convinced. 

Also staring ahead now, Steve admits: 

“This was the first time in days that I slept without waking up every few hours.” Billy tenses for a second and looks at him from the corner of his eyes. “Ever since we’ve been... hanging out, I’ve had less nightmares. Less panic attacks.” He turns to look Billy in the eyes “You’re not useless.” 

For the longest second of his life, Steve stares into blue eyes that are so close to his. Billy’s gaze slips down to Steve’s lips, and someone’s breath hitches (fuck knows who). Billy clears his throat and passes a hand over his mouth, seeming to fight internally with the decision of whether or not he should jump off the hood and go. 

Steve can’t say he loves that hesitation, but he definitely understands it. He also sees the want in those big blue eyes, and that’ll do for now. He can work with that. 

But, at the moment, he’s here to help. Not to make things worse. Steve pretends that nothing happened and moves so he’s kinda lying, kinda sitting with his back against the windshield, hands on the back of his head. 

“It’s nice out here.” he comments casually. 

“It is” Billy’s answers in the same tone. 

“You know, I did wake us up at least once. It’s fair to take a nap.” When Billy takes a little longer to respond, he adds “It’s not like anyone’s gonna bother us here at this time.” 

“I suppose.” 

With a sigh that’s almost a huff, Billy lays down next to Steve, their shoulders and legs touching again. A few minutes after both closed their eyes, Steve feels Billy fidgeting slightly, adjusting himself. Steve is about to ask if he’d rather go back to his house when he feels the soft touch of Billy’s face resting against his shoulder. Acting like his heart is not about to hammer its way out of his chest, Steve slowly moves his arm around Billy’s shoulders and pulls him closer. When Billy’s hand comes to rest on his stomach, Steve half buries his face on the boy’s long hair. 

Yes, he can definitely work with that.

**Author's Note:**

> Please do tell, what did you think?  
> I love your comments <3


End file.
